Practical Experiment

- Light Waves: Reflection and Refraction.

Background information.
As we know, light travels from one place to another as waves. We can use equipment such as a
light box kit to investigate how light waves interact when reflecting and refracting. Light box kits
contain concave (curved inwards) objects, convex (curved outwards) objects, prisms and planes
that can be used to demonstrate how light is reflected or refracted.

Name: Olivia Scerri

Partners: Olivia Grech

Aim: The aim this experiment is to use certain items from a light box to see how light travels and
how it convexes or concave.

Hypothesis: It is hypothesised that the light will convex, reflect or concave when the light is shown.

Materials:
- Light box kit
- Convex and concave lenses
- Prisms and planes
- Battery pack
- White A4 paper

Method:
Set up of light box kit.
1. Connect your light box to your battery pack as shown by your teacher
2. Place the black plastic light distributor down with the single open shaft facing downwards.
3. Place a sheet of white paper down in front of the light box.
4. Choose a coloured square of your choice.
5. Close the sides of the box making sure no light escapes.
Experiment 1.
6. Place a concave mirror in front of the light box and fill in the table below.
7. Flip over the concave mirror so it faces backwards and fill in the table below.
8. Place down the plane mirror so that it faces the light box and fill in the table below.
Experiment 2.
9. Place the concave lense in front of the light box (on the horizontal) and fill in the table below.
10. Place the convex lense in front of the light box (on the horizontal) and fill in the table below.
 11. Place down the rectangular plane in front of the light box (on the diagonal) and fill in the
table below.
12.Place the prism in front of the light box and fill in the table below.
Experiment 3.
13.Start with a convex lens and hold it close to your eye. Slowly move the lense away from your
face until your arm is completed outstretched. Record what you see in the space below.
14.Repeat the action for concave lenses and describe the difference between the two lenses.

Results:
Experiment 1.
Top view What happened to the rays? Plane, convex or concave
Re4lection or refraction? surface?
Refraction - Going outwards Convex

Refraction - Rays go through Concave

Re4lection - Same Plain

Experiment 2.
Top view What happens to the rays? Lens or prism? Convex or
Re4lection or refraction? concave?
Refraction - Going outwards Convex

 Refracting - Goes Out Convex

Re4lection - Re4lects shape back Plane

Refraction - Light Bends Convex

Discussion:
Question 1: Describe the difference between reflection and refraction based on what you saw in
your results.
Reflection just reflects back a plain simple shape, most likely the same shape that was put in front
of the light , it just reflects back.
Question 2: Describe the effect concave and convex lenses have on the light that passes through
them.
Concave curves inwards and Convex bulges outwards and plain stay the same.

Question 3. Does the distance from the object alter the way the light bends? Explain your
response.
No, it only matters how the object is placed like the angle or the height.
Question 4. The following image demonstrates what feature of light waves and why?

Concave light waves.

Conclusion: (summarise the experiment, refer to and describe results, state if the hypothesis was
support or not and why and acknowledge any errors made and how they could have impacted
results).

It is concluded that my hypothesis was PROVED/DISPROVED

The aim of the experiment was SUCCESSFULLY/UNSUCCESSFULLY reached.

The practical demonstrated that.

Future improvements could possibly be.

My hypothesis was proved correct and the experiment was successfully reached. It demonstrated
how light curves, bends and bulges when a shape. Future improvements maybe having more time
to experiment with the light and know how it really works so we could have tried or been faster
with out experiments.